PUC asks prayer leaders to stress human rights in Friday sermons

LAHORE: The Pakistan Ulema Council [PUC] has requested prayer leaders throughout the country to emphasise the importance of human rights, concept of daughter in Islam, women’s rights, inter-faith and inter-sectarian forbearance and difference between jihad and terrorism in Friday gatherings during the holy month of Ramazan.This was stated by PUC Central Chairman Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi during his meetings with delegations of scholars and prayer leaders belonging to different schools of thought. He said that the political and religious leaderships have the responsibility to play their role in tackling growing extremism and extremist attitudes. He added that the need for dialogue between people belonging to different religions and schools of thought is growing with every passing day. This is the reason why the PUC has chosen the topics for sermons that will be delivered on four Fridays during the holy month of Ramazan, so that guidance can be provided on these topics to people throughout the country. He further said that during Taraveeh prayers and Quranic lectures, scholars should guide people on Islamic teachings regarding the rights of servants and poor and helpless segments of the society. He added that the rights given to women in Islam have not been provisioned by any other religion or system. The irony is that newborn girls are being murdered after birth nowadays and women are being massacred in the name of honor and dignity. It is not just the political and religious leaderships that are tightlipped over this situation but the judiciary and law enforcing departments also appear helpless in front of these beasts. He said that scholars should play their role in rectifying the society. The time has come for them to renounce sectarian discrimination and provide guidance to people on issues facing our society. He said that sermons on the said topics will be delivered in hundreds of thousands of mosques affiliated with the PUC on four Fridays during the holy month of Ramazan. We hope that other religious parties and scholars’ organizations will also deliver sermons on these topics. He urged prayer leaders and affluent people throughout the country not to forget their brothers who have been forced to leave their homes in North Waziristan. The Pakistani nation has the responsibility to help them. Assistance should be extended to them in consideration of the fact that they have given sacrifices for the future of Pakistan and the Pakistani nation.